UVic Sports Hall of Fame
1985–86 men's rowing 8+
Building on the growing legacy of UVic rowing under head coach Al Morrow, the 1985–86 men's 8+ became one of the world's top university crews. Inspired by Canada's gold medal in the men's eight at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which featured several UVic alumni, the Vikes went undefeated throughout the 1985–86 season.
Their defining moment came at the inaugural Royal Victoria Boat Race at Elk Lake, where they claimed victory before thousands of spectators, defeating Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, Washington, and local rivals UBC/Vancouver Rowing Club, cementing their position on the global rowing stage. Every member of the crew represented Canada at the 1986 Commonwealth Games and World Championships, with eight going on to the 1988 Seoul Olympics and three to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where Bruce Robertson and Andy Crosby captured gold in the men's eight.
Crew members: John Ossowski, Eric Kovits, Kevin Neufeld, Bruce Robertson, Andy Crosby, Jason Dorland, Darby Berkhout, Don Telfer and coxswain Brian MacMahon.
Head coach: Al Morrow
